(no subject)

[pebblerocker]

I've been back in New Zealand for a week now, so busy I haven't had time to sit down. Given that I praised the vegan meals provided by Qantas recently, though, I thought there should be an update on what we got on the flight home.

Our meals were served first, of course, before everyone else gets theirs -- I find that a bit awkward when there's someone sitting next to me, it isn't polite to eat in front of people! -- and came in trays with stickers marked with our names and the code "VGML". Boyfriend opened his and we thought it looked pretty boring as compared to the exciting meal on the flight out: just sausages, mashed potatoes and peas. Well, I thought, the presentation isn't much but at least they're trying with the vegetarian sausages. Boyfriend had taken a bite of his before an attendant came hurrying to snatch our trays away; as you might have guessed, even with the "special vegan meal" stickers they'd managed to serve us the meat meal. The exchange meal was pasta in a cheese sauce, which boyfriend CAN eat but didn't because he felt somewhat queasy, and which I shouldn't eat but did pick at because it smelt good and I was starving. (No severe symptoms resulted but I found it didn't taste that fantastic.)

Boyfriend feels rather ripped off that after not eating meat for years he was tricked into some and it wasn't even nice. He felt weird and a bit ill for a couple of days afterwards for mainly psychological reasons.

I think in these circumstances one is supposed to make a formal complaint, but I don't see it doing any good. Presumably nobody meant to stick the stickers on the wrong containers; there's not much that could be done differently to make sure it happens again.

Comments

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I'd write to them and point out the distress caused. Hey, they might give you some free tickets or a discount for next time. It was definitely their fault as they realised they'd made a mistake before you did. Don't let it go by.

[pebblerocker]

Heh, that is the trouble with complaining: if you tell McDonalds you don't like their burgers they'll make it up to you with vouchers for more burgers!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

But vouchers for travel (or maybe a dinner out) are good!

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

I am sorry you had problems like that...

[dr-sponge.livejournal.com]

The last time I ate red meat was on a flight - I didn't know back then that you had to preorder the vegetarian option, and I got something with a surprisingly small bit of bacon on it, which I ended up eating (that was six years ago though). I'd be very upset if I were to accidentally eat meat now days, so lots of understanding to you guys.

This is the problem with current generation vege meat substitutes - sometimes they are hard to differentiate from the animal based version. I like things to be obviously different, but a good enough substitute if one has a craving.

[pebblerocker]

There was a fake chicken I had in Australia a few years ago -- I don't know if it tasted anything like real chicken, but the texture LOOKED so much like chicken that I couldn't eat it.